“There is huge amount of momentum behind mandatory reporting,” said Lucy Gaffney of Business for Biodiversity Ireland who is attending Cop15. Compared to previous biodiversity Cops, she said the level of business engagement on the issue was unprecedented.
Sectors such as mining, agriculture, oil and fashion, nonetheless, are under scrutiny at the Cop15 talks, due to their heavy impact on nature with activities that can contaminate soil, pollute waterways or pollute the air. Fashion and retail are facing pressure from consumers and governments to reduce waste and carbon emissions throughout their operations. For them, a strong deal that forces all companies to report any harm would work toward assuaging some consumer concerns.
Mining companies are also concerned about the central goal of the Cop15 talks – to set aside 30 per cent of Earth’s land and ocean areas for conservation by 2030. That could cut into areas rich with resources for extraction.